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Sophie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Sophie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Sophie Donata Luise Helena, 14 May 1862 - 19 August 1924) was a German-born princess. She was the wife of King Pieter II, and Queen of Brunant from 1881 until her husband's assassination in 1913. Sophie was not extremely popular, due to her very traditional and upper-class upbringing and demeanor and consistent rumors of divided loyalty for Germany, especially during the First World War. Biography Early life and family Sophie was born at the Schloss Ludwiglust to Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his first wife, Princess Augusta Reuss zu Köstritz. Her mother died less than a year after her birth, and her father was remarried twice. Sophie was well-educated by her father and stepmother, Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, and was always groomed to marry a well-to-do husband, in wealth and in social standing. Sophie was the sister-in-law of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. She was aunt to Alexandrine, Queen of Denmark, Cecile, Crown Princess of Germany and Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands. She was a sister of Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Grand Duchess Mara Pavlovna of Russia, making her an aunt of Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich, pretender to the Russian throne. Marriage In 1879, she met in Berlin Pieter, Duke of Middleton and Crown Prince of Brunant. Shortly after, her parents arranged a marriage, and they were engaged that year. The couple married on 17 August 1880 in the St. Sebastian's Cathedral in Koningstad. They had six children: *Prince Johan (1881-1867) *Princess Caroline (1882-1905) *Prince Louis (1884-1931) *Prince Hendrik (1886-1956) *Princess Martina Louisa (1891-1981) *Prince Frederick (1893-1913) Queen of Brunant During the Liberal Revolution, her husband became embroiled in conflict against his father and in March 1881, he stored the Royal Palace with soldiers, leading Sophie's father-in-law to flee the capital and her husband to become king on 19 May. In Brunant, the young queen learned Dutch and even spoke some English on public occasions. The queen, though, spoke to her children only in German, which they spoke more than Dutch. She was a very fashionable woman and helped to bring a new, modern look to the court. During a visit to Brezonde in October 1913, the king, Crown Prince Johan, Princess Martina Louisa and Prince Frederick were involved in an assassination attempt as part of the October Plot and coup. Pieter, Johan and Frederick were injured, and both her husband and her youngest child died during the night, leading her to an extended period of mourning. The Queen Mother As the government and King Johan II looked to enter the Great War in Europe on the side of the Allies, the Queen Mother began to push for official neutrality or some sort of support for the German side, citing their family ties. She openly opposed entering the war and many felt she still had deep loyalties to Germany above Brunant. Sophie on her part often stated her abhorrence for war and that she would not support it. The deaths of six Brunanters on the [[Wikipedia:RMS Lusitania|RMS Lusitania]] in May 1915 and the Italian entry into the war for the Entente in August 1915 changed the political balance in Brunant. On 4 June 1915, her son the king declared war on Germany. Queen Sophie would not forgive her son and her influence waned even more once he married in to Infanta Maria Benedita of Portugal in October that year. The Queen Mother could not believe her son would abandon her views and their German ancestry and family over supporting the United Kingdom and France. While she favored war on the German side from the start of the war, she attempted to convince Johan to perhaps seek neutrality again, as her private papers revealed. Writing to her nephew Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV in the summer, she stated <>, and <>. Sophie then took up a rather more permanent holiday in the south of Spain to get away from Brunant. Private papers suggest that she was not happy with the political atmosphere, nor with the air of distrust by some at court or in government for being German and having purported loyalties to the Reich, though in her letters, she stated she felt Brunant would get more out of siding with Germany as opposed to historical enemy France. Later years In 1917, while visiting Spain, Sophie was shot by Italian anarchist Mario Delvecchio. Though she did not die from her wounds, they helped deteriorate her health. Retiring to the Huis ten Bergen in the mountains, Sophie lived out the rest of her years in peace. In 1923, she was named godmother to her grandson, Crown Prince Marten. In 1924, she fell and broke her hip; she died a week later. Category:Dead people Category:1862 births Category:Royal consorts Category:Princes